Garment hanging device



April 29, 1969 N. KELLEY GARMENT HANGNG DBVCE Filed Aug. 28, 1967 lNvENToR. /VL-'A KELEV BY MM Y- W JrroRn/zys United States Patent O 3,441,147 GARMENT HANGING DEVICE Neal Kelley, 8473 Mississippi Blvd. NW., West Minneapolis, Minn. 55433 Filed Aug. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 663,646 Int. Cl. A47f 7/19; E04g 3/10; A47h 33/00 U.S. Cl. 211-113 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a garment hanging device and includes a telescoping support member having a pair of clamping devices on the respective ends thereof, the clamping devices including a pair of opposed hook members biased into clamping configuration. The clamping devices are pivotally mounted to the support member such that they may be arranged either in parallel relation to the support member or may be arranged in normal relation thereto. Clamp devices are provided for positioning the pairs of clamping devices either parallel or normal to the telescoping member.

In the past, various garment hanging devices have been provided many of which are arranged for temporary support upon doors or other similar structures. Applicant provides herein a new and unique type of garment storing or hanging device which is primarily designed for holding positioning onto the moldings normally surrounding a door frame so as to hang within the open door frame such that the garments may hang thereon within the area defined by the door frame.

One important problem with hangers of this general concept when used for temporary situations is the storage problem when the hanger is not in use. Applicant has solved this problem through the utilization of a swinging type connector between the molding grasping elements and the garment carrying rod which connector will permit the device to be folded into a substantially planar form for storage in a relatively narrow area.

It is therefore an object of applicant's invention to provide a garment hanging device or the like which includes a telescoping hanger support section to accommodate its useage within door openings of various sizes.

It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a garment hanging device including a garment hanging rod and two pair of molding grasping elements respectively on the ends thereof each pair including clamps normally biased inwardly toward one another to provide a positive holding force when the device is mounted on the molding of a door frame.

It is a further object of applicantis device to provide a foldable garment hanging unit which includes a garment hanging telescoping rod portion and a pair of foldable clamp elements on the respective ends thereof which elements are foldable into substantially planar relation with the rod section such that the unit may be stored as a substantially fiat package in a relatively narrow storage area.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation illustrating a garment hanger employing the concepts of applicanfs invention in position on the molding of a door frame or the like;

FIG. 2 is a Vertical section taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 particularly illustrating one molding clamp element of the device;

FIG. 3 is a Vertical section taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

3,44l,147 Patented Apr. `29, 1969 FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the garment hanger in folded position; and

FIG. '6 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIG. l.

In accordance with the accompanying drawings applicant's garment hanger generally designated 10 includes a telescoping rod and garment carrying section having a first telescoping member 11 and a Second inner telescoping member 12 which permits the rod and thus the unit to be fitted into door openings or other openings for various sizes and likewise permits collapsibility to a compact size for storage. Garment carrying section 10 is provided with a pair of molding clamping elements designated respectively 13-14 which clamping elements are best illustrated in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2 the clamping elements 13-14 each include a pair of rotatable clamp members 15-16 pivoted at the lower end thereof to an outstanding arm 17 of a connector bracket generally designated 18 which bracket Will be discussed hereinafter. Each of the arms 15-16 includes an outwardly diverging section 15a-1l6a a short vertical upstanding section 15b-16b and an inwardly downwardly disposed gripping end 15c-16c which end is designed to rest upon the upper portion of a door frame molding M or the like to positively retain the device 10' thereon. As illustrated in FIG. 2 a biasing means such as spring 20 is provided between the clamp elements 15-16 to normally urge the same inwardly.

The clamp elements 13-14 are attached to the 'garment carrying rod 10 through brackets generally designated 25-26. These brackets in the form shown include a pair of bifurcated rod receiving snap lock devices 27- 28 which devices are disposed at right angles to one another through mounting thereof upon a common frame member 29. Each of the bifurcated elements 27-28 is designed to receive the rod therebetween such that the brackets 29 and the carried hanging elements 13-14 may be shifted from the Vertical position as illustrated in FIG. 1 to a position as illustrated in FIG. 5 where they are in substantially planar relationship with the garment rod 10.

As illustrated one of the brackets 25 is provided with an outwardly extending hange device 30 having an aperture 30a therethrough for hanging and storing of the same when the device is in folded position. Rod 10 is pivotally mounted onto the [respective brackets 25-26 by providing a pair of spaced upstanding arm elements 31 on the common base member 29 and providing a pin 32 therethrough.

It should be obvious from the description of this bracket and from the drawings illustrating the same that the brackets and the accompanying hanger elements may be shifted from and between each of the respective positions and in each of the respective positions the snap action of the rod receiving devices 27-28 will positively hold the hanging brackets 13-14 in either right angles or parallel relation to the rod 10.

In order to control the adjustability of the telescoping sections 11-12 of the garment hanging portion 10 a spring loaded detent 35 is provided inwardly of the inner telescoping member 12 with the ball portion 36 thereof extending outwardly through an aperture 12a formed therein which ball element 36 will likewise be received in any of the plurality of apertures 11a spaced along the outer telescoping member 11.

In order to normally prevent the clamp arms 15-16 from passing over one another when in storage position the lower most ends 15d-16d thereof are particularly designed to abut with the bracket elements 28. In this manner when the device 10 is removed from the door frame, spring 20 will draw the arms 15-16 inwardly but will ice not allow them to pass over one another and will stop their inward motion when the grasping tips 156-160 are in approximately adjacent relation.

The use of the article should be obvious. When in the storage position the clamp elements 13-14 are in substantially parallel relation to the hanger element and this relationship is held by the spring loaded bracket member 28 which surrounds the rod 10. When it is desired to use the device these elements 13-14 are unsnapped from the position of retention of bar 10 within brackets 28 and are shifted to a 90 disposed whereby the bar 10 is now positively held by the spring brackets 27-27. In this position the device is 'ready to be hung on the door frame. In hanging the unit on a door frame it is only necessary to spread the clamping arms 15-16 and pass the same over the molding. Since the clamping arms 15-16 are prevented from passing an over center position by the lower ends 15d-16d thereof it is only necessary to spread one clamp while the other such clamp remains in its controlled position against bracket 28. In vuse of course the device is hung on the door frame as illustrated in FIG. 2 and the lateral adjustment of the telescoping sections could be made either before or after such hanging.

It should be obvious that applicant has provided a new and unique garment hanging device which, due to its foldable construction, permits ease of storage and which is easily adaptable to fit into door openings of various sizes.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and proportion of parts without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A garment hanging device including:

(a) a hanger support member;

(b) a pair of clamping devices arranged on the respective ends of said member, each of said clamping devices including:

(1) a pair of arm elements having nwardly disposed hook sections on the upper ends thereof; and

(2) a biasing means normally urging said arm elements nwardly whereby a hanging, grasping force is provided therebetween; and

(c) means pivotally connecting each pair of clamping devices to the respective ends of said support member to permit said clam-ping devices to be shifted from a first position parallel to said support member to at least a second position normal to said support member and said means including a pair of locking devices arranged at substantially right angles to one another to lock said clamping devices in their two alternate positions.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said locking devices include two pairs of bifurcated arm structures normally biased nwardly to clamp the support member therebetween.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein said locking devices are provided on the second base member, said arm elements being pivotally mounted thereon and said base member being provided with an apertured extension to permit hanging and storage of the device.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein said common base member is provided with a pair of opposed stop de'vices in position to engage a selected portion of each of said arm elements to prevent movement of said arm elements nwardly toward each other past a predetermined point.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,104,180 7/1914 Forlong 211-123 1,481,734 1/1924 PaXsOn 248-228 2,476,635 7/ 1949 Southwick.

2,480,327 8/1949 Idelsohn 211-123 XR 2,542,163 2/1951 Swalwell 211-123 XR 2,594,605 4/1952 Zoppelt 211-123 ROY D. FRAZIER, Prm'ary Examiner. R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Exam/zer.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 211-123; 248-228 

